MissDomino

Last year I had the
opportunity to hear Civil Rights Leader, John Lewis speak. During this
speech, he talked about the 'Good Trouble' he had found himself in over
the years. 'Good Trouble,' for him meant standing up for what was
unjust, unfair and not right.

Over my
career as a school librarian I've worked in five schools where I've
gotten into trouble for standing up for my students. My trouble has
included:

- Engaging students and parents in advocating for the purchase of new books for the library

program.

-
Working with a team of teachers to stand up to a administrator and
encourage them to put

'children, not employees first,' in making
decisions that would impact the learning community.

- Challenging district officials on the dismissal of certified librarians.

- Advocating for certified school librarians on a national level using social media.

Oh
yes, I got into trouble and continue to do so. I don't regret any of
my actions. Children's lives are at stake and the fight continues. The
school librarian can impact the emotional and social lives of the
children that they serve by

- Guiding students to books that are of interest to them,

- Help students apply 21st Century learning skills they have learned while navigating the internet,

- Maintaining a library environment that is a safe haven.

Libraries
are game changers and equalizers for school children/young adults,
especially those living in poverty. I will continue to get into 'Good
Trouble,' because our nation's children deserve it.

I recently lost a special person in my life, Gloria Milner-Thomas. Gloria was a librarian mentor, counselor, advisor, defender, fan but most importantly such a good friend.

I met her years ago when I was assigned as a librarian at a little
school in west Englewood called Copernicus (now Langford Academy). I
was nervous about my new career in school libraries. I had left
corporate America and wanted to be
successful. Though my parents were both teachers and provided me with
advisement and support, they couldn't hold my hand during the day at
work. It was Gloria who held my hand during the day.

When I
was introduced to Gloria by the principal, her eyes got really big and
she looked me up and down....from the top of my head to the tips of my
toes. She quietly went to her desk drawer and began pulling out several
books. I can still hear her voice as she said, 'You gonna need this,
and this one, oh yes you are going to need this book too!' She finally
stood up and said, 'Stand your ground with the children, be fair and
patient...they aren't used to receiving library service. We haven't had
a librarian in years.' I told her thank you for the books, stood up
and began walking out of her Assistant principals office. '....and one
more thing Ms Boyd,' she paused and looked over her glasses and firmly
said, '......do right by those children.'

This first time
encounter with Gloria describes her to a T. She was very generous, she
gave away advice for free and was a staunch advocate for children
living in poverty. She walked with a purpose of serving others and
taking care and loving her family.

Outside of my family she
has always been my greatest cheerleader. She encouraged me to hold my
head high and continue to walk with conviction when my position at the
Department of Libraries was closed and I had to return to the school
level. When I told her that I had found a position teaching at Phillips High School, the biggest grin spread across her face. 'You know that's
MY high school....you are going to do well there!' And I did!.

As years passed and she became ill and it was sometimes tiring for her
to talk on the phone, I still marveled at her mental strength, clarity
and advocacy in serving children in lower income communities. She would
say, 'It's those little things that you do for children that will
remain with them for a lifetime.'

One of the last books she read with her students

I'm going to miss my friend.
I'm going to miss those weekend conversations where we would talk and
sometimes debate on education policy. (I could never present a strong
enough argument to win a debate with her!)

Gloria was a one-of-a-kind beautiful human being. I just wish that
more people within the education community could have had the
opportunity to talk to her or just work with her. She experienced much,
tolerated too much and endured things that most couldn't during their
career. It often saddened me that some who were WEAK viewed her as a
threat when she was an asset to every organization/system she lended her
time to. That was Gloria.

I thank her son and daughter for SHARING their mother with us. I understand she was a workaholic and
her mind was always on the next grant or program idea. I speak on
behalf of the hundreds of teachers Gloria helped, inspired or fussed
at.....she helped mold us all into the Educators that keep SERVICE of
CHILDREN at the center of our practice.

As a black librarian, the only book in my
library that depicts a monkey is Curious George. The stories are based
on life lessons and he is portrayed as what he is: an animal. Throughout the Obama administration, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were likened to monkeys/apes, needless to say some paid the price for doing so. Let me get back to my point because that subject really angers me.

There was once a time
when black people were commonly compared to monkeys in children's literature. It
suggests that blacks were a different, sub-human species. It also has
the connotations of slavery and everything associated with it. It stirs
up the same emotions as calling blacks a nigger, which in itself ONLY
has cultural connotations. So in other words, the comparison to monkey
is almost objectively worse, especially when books with the comparison
is presented to young children.

I'm respectful of the families and
cultures I serve through the library and the books I select for the
collection. Here's one of the primary sources I used for my research. You can see for how this subject that has unfairly been used to describe beautiful men and women who have fought and open doors for the black community.

For many, Parks was the quiet seamstress and mother of the Civil Rights Movement when in
fact, she was so much more.

As a child she
listened to her grandfather, who admired the teachings of Marcus Garvey, tell stories
of a unification and empowerment of black people. Hearing these stories of struggle, self-pride
and determination inspired her to become an activist for justice. Her husband
Raymond was the founder of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP and she
served as the chapter’s secretary.

What
many do not know, when Parks was 18, she narrowly escaped a rape attempt of
a white man while working as a domestic.Years later, Parks would serve as
an NAACP investigator for the sexual violence against black women by white men.Parks worked on
many cases with the NAACP, including the Scottsboro Boys defense of 9 black
teenage boys accused of rape in Alabama in 1931.

Parks was trained
in non-violent resistant strategies by the NAACP. After her 1955 historic bus ride, Parks was
often the target of death threats and struggled to gain employment within the
Birmingham area. Parks and her husband
relocated to Detroit, Michigan in 1957 where she continued to work as a
seamstress. She was hired by Congressman
John Conyers to work as his administrative assistant in 1965 until her
retirement in 1988. Parks continued to lend her support in causes
after retirement by participating in the anti-apartheid movement in the 1990s.

All I can say after viewing this photo from the Washington Post, 'Day in Pictures,' page is RESPECT. Sometimes we take for granted that books are available for us within a short walk or click on our computers. I can only imagine what this woman had to go through to get these books. This picture is a reminder to me to stop complaining.

Please read. I'm sensitive about my work!

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